Obamas Unveil Official Paintings at National Portrait Gallery

 

Barack and Michelle Obama were on hand at the National Portrait Gallery Monday morning to unveil their official portraits. And, um, here they are:

No, this is not The Onion, but the actual portraits. Barack Obama, apparently being consumed by a hedge, was painted by Kehinde Wiley. Michelle Obama, in the style of a 10th grader in 1984, was painted by Amy Sherald.

What do you think of this … art?

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  1. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Umbra Fractus (View Comment):
    These paintings are eyesores, and for all I know they were meant to be so because the Obamas were and remain petulant children whose life’s purpose seems to be to be as mindlessly rebellious as possible.

    Two hundred years from now casual viewers will wonder why the Obamas were so hated that the country had these pictures made to officially represent them. If they were told this is how the Obamas wished to be portrayed, they will not believe it. It is just too strange to believe.

    • #181
  2. Ansonia Member
    Ansonia
    @Ansonia

    Re: 179

    Evening, Umbra Fractus. Am in the middle of a house project. Hope to comment on your comment tomorrow.

    • #182
  3. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Seawriter (View Comment):
    Two hundred years from now casual viewers will wonder why the Obamas were so hated that the country had these pictures made to officially represent them. If they were told this is how the Obamas wished to be portrayed, they will not believe it. It is just too strange to believe.

    I even pre-wrote the dialogue for them.

    • #183
  4. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Two hundred years from now casual viewers will wonder why the Obamas were so hated that the country had these pictures made to officially represent them. If they were told this is how the Obamas wished to be portrayed, they will not believe it. It is just too strange to believe.

     

    I suspect the Obamas really did not like their portraits very much, but were too afraid to say so.  The comments they made about the portraits were trite and did not sound particularly sincere.   I have literally seen hundreds of people express their feelings upon first sight of their finished portraits and I know when someone is truly excited.

    It is very common in the Modern Art World that people are fearful of criticizing art that they do not understand.  (Credit to @Umbra Fractus for being honest about Mama Seward!)   There often is nothing to understand in the first place, but the average viewer does not know this and pretends to like something that looks like garbage.

    This phenomenon is peculiar to the visual arts field and no other field that I know of.  If someone hears bad music they will not hesitate to say “turn that racket off!”  People feel free to criticize books, movies, plays, operas, you name it.  But when it comes to the visual arts, there is often cowed silence.

     

    • #184
  5. Umbra Fractus Inactive
    Umbra Fractus
    @UmbraFractus

    Steven Seward (View Comment):
    Credit to @Umbra Fractus for being honest about Mama Seward!

    I trust you understand that this man who can barely draw stick figures (by which I mean me) means no disrespect to your mother or her abilities.

    • #185
  6. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    Umbra Fractus (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):
    Credit to @Umbra Fractus for being honest about Mama Seward!

    I trust you understand that this man who can barely draw stick figures (by which I mean me) means no disrespect to your mother or her abilities.

    Absolutely no umbrage taken!  Bill Bennett often says something about honest discourse without rancor is a good thing.  Somebody help me out on this quote.

    • #186
  7. Ansonia Member
    Ansonia
    @Ansonia

    Re: 184

    Steven, you beat me to it. I was going to say something like that to Umbra Fractus about Obama’s reaction to his portrait.

    Sent you a message re: prints of your mother’s work. Did you get it?

    • #187
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